leather

Fantoni Dweller Review

Last Updated: July 30, 2019
I have been holding out on you guys. Several years ago I purchased what is arguably my all time favorite gentleman’s folder, and have yet to write a review on it. That is, until now.

Buy the Fantoni Dweller at KnifeArt.com

I’m talking of course about the Fantoni Dweller. This is is a knife that I fell in love with after watching Stefan Schmalhaus’ excellent video review. He is the man when it comes to reviewing dress knives, and I think that his video review of the Dweller is among his best work. If you haven’t checked out his review before, then you owe it to yourself to give his short video your attention:

After watching a video review like that there isn’t much left for someone to say about the Dweller. This is part of the reason why I have remained quiet for so long, but I’ll try my best to give you my take on this knife.

This is a riff on the Bob Loveless City Knife, which is a fixed blade pattern. I believe Fantoni made a similar knife for Lone Wolf in the early 2000s, with bolsters and no finger choil. This version was designed by Massimo Fantoni. Massimo is the son of Renzo Fantoni, the founder of Fantoni Knives in Italy. Massimo is perhaps best known for designing the Nilte Quiete. I have had the pleasure of meeting with Massimo and Renzo at several Blade shows over the years. They are great guys making some of the best production knives in the world.

The only problem with Fantoni Knives is that they produce their models in limited quantities. Their stuff is hard to acquire unless you are vigilant. KnifeArt is Fantoni’s exclusive U.S. dealer, but their selection is touch and go based upon Fantoni’s production schedule. For these reasons Fantoni doesn’t get a ton of press here in the States. This is a shame because their work is immaculate and they have fantastic designs. Their CUT Flipper remains one of my all time favorite production pieces. The Dweller isn’t far behind.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Dweller has an overall length of 6.5″, a 2.6″ blade, and weighs 1.8 ounces. The Dweller is made in Maniago, Italy. In my opinion this knife is the perfect size for EDC or carry as a gents folder. Some people may get bent out of shape about the blade to handle ratio. The blade is notably and purposely smaller than the handle. Personally I find that aspect of the design charming. I don’t typically ascribe to golden ratios or metrics when examining a knife. These metrics can be useful and interesting, but I like to explore each knife on the merits.

Here, I find the short blade endearing. It’s a big part of what makes the Dweller so unique and whimsical. Plus it’s still practical. This knife is non-threatening and elegant. No one is going to mistake the stubby blade of the Dweller for a weapon, yet it is still perfectly suited for opening mail, trimming loose threads, and handling mild food prep chores like slicing an apple at lunch, or preparing a cheese plate after work. You know, the stuff gentlemen do. And despite the smaller blade there is still plenty of handle, so the user gets the benefit of a full grip when using this knife.

The blade is a short modified drop point with a full flat grind. It is ground like a traditional slip joint, meaning that it is thin behind the edge and slices well. The tip is fine, and represents a good balance of strength and precision. The blade has been given an attractive satin finish. All around this is a practical and nicely executed blade for a little folding knife.

Fantoni went with Sandvik 19C27 steel for the Dweller. I haven’t had a lot of experience with 12C27 outside of the Dweller. Sandvik advertises this as their most well-rounded knife steel. My research suggests that Fantoni has heat treated their 19C27 all the way up to 61HRc.

The 19C27 takes a nice edge that holds up well and is easy to maintain. I have had zero issues with rust or corrosion, despite carrying and storing the Dweller in a leather sheath in Florida for years. I have also used the knife on all manner of acidic fruits. While 19C27 isn’t a super steel, its a good practical choice for a small slip joint. No complaints.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Carry

The Dweller’s handle is wood scales over brass liners. This is a slip joint, and the stainless steel backspring doubles as a full backspacer. As with all of my other experiences with Fantoni, everything is put together beautifully. I especially like the fact that this slip joint is bolted together rather than pinned. That means the pivot is adjustable and the handle scales are fully removable with a tiny torx driver.

My particular knife came with Snakewood covers, but Fantoni offers this knife in a variety of different exotic wood handle scales, including Olive, Burl, and Cocobolo. I like Snakewood because of the warm color and interesting figuring. Although my particular handles don’t have much of a “snake skin” pattern it’s still beautiful. I have also seen the Dweller offered in Micarta. My preference is for a wood handle as that compliments the gentleman’s folder vibe of this knife nicely.

The Dweller features a generous handle. It dwarfs the handle of the Cadet, and also features a small forward finger choil that allows you to choke up on the blade. Either way there is plenty of room for a full grip, even if you take a large glove like I do. Being a gents folder there is no jimping to speak of. The wood handle is not slippery, but this is not a high traction handle either. I have used my Dweller for tasks ranging from cleaning my finger nails to breaking down boxes. It isn’t a combat folder, but should handle most urban daily carry tasks without issue.

The Dweller does not come with a pocket clip, and instead is shipped with a thin leather slip sheath. The sheath is made of a rich chestnut colored leather that matches the Snakewood handles on my knife almost perfectly. What I like about this slip sheath is that it is thin and small. The sheathes that came with both my Mnandi and Indian River Jack, while nicely made and serviceable, are both notably larger than the sheath of the Dweller. That is because the Dweller’s sheath is custom made to the knife, while the knives for the IRJ and Mnandi were designed to accommodate other knives as well. Over time my sheath has broken in and burnished, which added to the character of this knife.

Walk and Talk

This is a slip joint, so my usual discussion of “deployment and lock up” more or less goes out the window. For “deployment” we have a single nail nick. The spring on this knife isn’t particularly strong. I’d say the pull strength is a 3 or 4 and is comparable to my Cadet.

The nice thing about the Dweller is that it has a great little half stop. I am a big fan of half stops, and it works well on the Dweller. The blade does not lock open, but it is secure. There is no blade play. If you are smart about how you use this knife you can get a lot of use out of it despite the lack of a lock.

Centering on my knife is a off by a millimeter. The pivot appears to be a bushing style pivot, so I am guessing I could adjust it to center, but haven’t tried because it hasn’t bothered me.

Here is a shot of the Dweller next to another rock star gent’s folder, the CRK Mnandi:

Fantoni Dweller Review – Final Thoughts

I almost feel bad waiting so long to write this review. I bought this knife for my personal collection, and have enjoyed it for several years now. While many knives have come and gone over the years the Dweller is something I don’t see myself ever parting with. I love the simple design rooted in Bob Loveless’ timeless aesthetic. The stubby blade is charming and practical, the wood and brass handles are warm and inviting, and the superb execution of the knife and pocket sheath elevate the Dweller to something special an unique.

While it may not be the fanciest gentleman’s folder, the Dweller’s simplicity and restraint make it one of my favorites. This is a beautiful knife, but it is still humble. This is a dress knife that I can actually use without regret. Some gent’s folders are so nice that they are almost objets d’art, and I feel guilty when using them. I don’t get that feeling with the Dweller. It’s a nice little knife, but it’s also unmistakably a tool.

Unfortunately, the Dweller has become exceedingly rare over the years. A search of “Fantoni Dweller” on the BladeForum’s buy / sell / trade section yielded zero results. Buy it if you can find it.

I would recommend buying the Dweller at KnifeArt, as they are Fantoni’s only US dealer. The only problem is, they don’t have the Dweller currently in stock. You may be able to find them on the secondary market. Regardless, please consider that purchasing anything through any of the links on this website, including links to Amazon and BladeHQ, helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

KA-BAR Fighting Utility / USMC Full-Size Fixed Blade Knife Review

by Mike Teeples 15 Comments

Knife, Fighting Utility. That’s what the U.S. Marine Corps lists as the knife they adopted for issue in 1942 when soldiers demanded a replacement that would hold up to the rigors of more than just battle. The previous version was an excellent fighting knife, but wasn’t good for much else. Soldiers began carrying civilian models until the official versions caught up to their standard of use. The Fighting/Utility knife, sometimes called the “USMC KA-BAR”, has been in place ever since 1942 for the U.S. Marine Corps, and has also been issued to U.S. Navy and U.S. Army soldiers.

Buy the Ka-Bar USMC at BladeHQ

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While some thought that a multi-use knife would not be ideal for fighting, soldiers reported differently when returning from combat over the years from WWII and Vietnam through Afghanistan and Iraq. It’s hard to argue with that kind of deployment longevity and I have a soft spot for military issued equipment that comes as a result of listening to the troops in the field.

The story behind the KA-BAR name is also hard to ignore. A fur trapper sent the owner of Union Cutlery a letter where he detailed using one of their knives to kill a wounded bear when his rifled jammed. The letter was not completely legible and “k a b ar” were the only letters they could make out from the phrase “kill a bear”. The bear story and their adoption of the name as a result is now printed and sent along with knives from the factory. KA-BAR is now also proudly stamped on one side of the blade right over Olean, N.Y. opposite whatever branch you choose to support.

I hope to never have to take down a bear, but I’ve used mine for virtually every camping task and it has performed exceptionally well. Dead branches still hanging in the forest can take a toll on an edge. I’ve been pleasantly surprised with the durability of my knife after using it to clean up older trees and to gather dry timber for firewood.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The standard (or “full size”) version of the Fighting/Utility Knife has an overall length of 11.875 inches, a 7-inch blade, and weighs 11.2 ounces. The Fighting/Utility knife is made in the USA. KA-BAR makes a shorter version with a 5.25-inch blade that I also picked up thinking it would be perfect for me. Unfortunately, the shorter blade option is coupled with a smaller handle, and I actually prefer the full-sized knife due to its larger and more comfortable handle.

The black coated, flat ground blade comes to a bowie style clip point and is made out of 1095 Cro-Van steel. The chromium and vanadium add both resistance to elements and edge retention over plain 1095. Plain and serrated edges are available based on your preference. Edge retention and ease of sharpening usually have an inverse relationship, but they’ve done a nice job of walking that tightrope here. 1095 Cro-Van takes slightly more effort to sharpen over regular 1095, but is worth that tradeoff for an edge you can count on in the wild.

There is also a 2.5 inch fuller built into the spine side of the blade to keep weight down to what feels lighter than 11.2 ounces. Blade thickness comes in at a perfect .17 inches for the intended use. It’s strong enough to baton firewood, open ammo cans and cut wire without adding weight to a soldier that needs to be mobile to stay alive.

Originally the swedge of the blade was shipped out sharpened from the factory, but double edged knives are frowned upon in some states and that practice was eventually put to a halt.

Pommel, Crossguard, and Handle

The full tang of the knife is visible as it protrudes through the pommel where it is securely pinned into place with a stainless steel pin you can see from one side. The pommel itself is steel and appears ready and able to withstand a reasonable pounding.

On the blade end of the handle a slightly curved crossguard lightly protects the hand from danger. It doesn’t cover my full knuckle, but it does offer the end user some protection. Plus making it larger would have been a nightmare in the sheath.

You have options for the handle that rests between the pommel and crossguard. The oval shape of the handle is 1 inch by 1.25 inches in circumference and tapers slightly at top and bottom so the meat of your grip is full. While leather washers are the traditional material, and I personally think make the knife “pop”, another option is the version in grippy Kraton. Kraton is far superior in regards to both resisting the elements and staying in your hand. The leather is purely beauty over function for me, but it will weather over time and that in combination with oils from your hand will generally result in a better grip than a factory new knife. The good stuff just gets better with age, right?

Ergonomics and Sheath

There’s something about a stacked leather handle. Like that pair of jeans that fits better every time you break them out, you just have to appreciate the things in life that get better with age. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about the uniformly cut notches that may line up with your fingers. It turns out the notches enhance the grip and provide cooling channels that are handy when performing field work. The length of the handle suits a blade of this length nicely, and the knife feels balanced and capable in hand.

When handling the knife you will notice that the 7-inch blade feels surprisingly light and easy to wield. This is the result of two things. First, the blade is just under 1.25 inches wide and is slightly offset when looking at it compared to the handle. The result is a counter effect to the lighter, tapered blade edge versus the heavier spine. While I haven’t come across anything outright from KA-BAR saying this was intentional, I have to believe it is. This offset isn’t built into the smaller 5.25-inch version, but was easily identified on every picture I pulled up while searching full-sized versions online. Second, the balance point between the blade and handle favors the handle somewhat. This makes accomplishing fine tasks more manageable than comparable knives with longer blades.

Sheaths are available that generally match your choice of handle material. The version with the stacked leather handle comes with a leather sheath. The leather sheath can come stamped with your chosen branch of service. The KA-BAR logo includes “U.S.A” if you opt out of the military service versions. Plastic sheaths are standard for those that choose the Kraton handled version. For use in saltwater or very humid regions, the plastic/Kraton version is the obvious choice. Both sheaths are well made and pair amiably with the knife from both a functional and aesthetic standpoint.

The knives I own both came with leather sheaths. The leather is of high quality and the stitching is excellent. I assume the plastic versions are made to the same high standards.

KA-BAR USMC Fighting/Utility Knife Review – Final Thoughts

Finding a more historically rich knife that has proven itself times over and is still in production today (at a VERY reasonable price) would be a challenge.

The KA-BAR Fighting/Utility line boasts a variety of options that will suit the vast majority of users. I’ll be first in line if they come out with a hybrid between the full-sized 7-inch version and the shorter 5.25-inch one. With all the variety in Ka-Bar’s lineup, I still would prefer the blade to be about an inch shorter. I’m pretty sure I’ll be happy to have their standard 7″ version by my side if I ever do run across that legendary wounded bear in the woods. That extra blade length also comes in handy when using the knife to baton firewood. Quibbles about size aside, the fit and finish of my knife is outstanding, and the construction is clearly built to take a lifetime of punishment.

If you are looking for an all-purpose outdoor adventure knife the KA-BAR Fighting Utility knife is one of my top picks in the value category. It’s just a solid all-round knife. Plus, you get to hold in your hand a functional piece of history that helped win World War II and other engagements. I have a couple children to pass this knife on to, and I’ll have to make sure the kid I don’t pass this one down to gets something amazing to compensate. Then again, at this price you can afford to buy one for each kid.

Ka-Bar 1220 US Army Straight Edge Fighting/Utility Knife with Leather Sheath , Beige, 7" Blade

The traditional KA-BAR marked for Army personnel
Blade features U.S. ARMY tang stamp
Leather sheath included
Made in the USA

I recommend purchasing the KA-BAR Fighting/Utility Knife at Amazon or BladeHQ. Please consider that purchasing anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.